The Silvia Saga: Boxset

Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Kayla

Light appears from behind my closed eyes, but when I try to open them, they won't budge. I can't move. I’m struggling to breathe. My whole body aches from my head all the way to my toes. I’m glad I can't see right now. I don't want to have to look at the damage that James has caused me. My body is limp, slumped against the concrete wall of my cell, the place of my nightmares.

I have no idea how much time has passed since my capture. All I know is I just want to give up and give in to the pain, to end it all. That would be the easiest way out. I can't take another day of this torture.

My cell door opens with a creak, causing a shiver to roll through my fragile body. I tense, bracing myself for the pain that will surely come.

James’s power is like nothing I’ve experienced before. For starters, I didn't even know magic existed before I came here. But now … after what I’ve experienced, I believe. Does everyone use their magic like he does? I don’t believe that for a second, this man is pure evil. He uses it for pain and torture. I’ve never met someone so cruel and cunning.

I feel him before he speaks—my saviour, the only person who’s kept me going. Relief floods me.

“Hang in there, sweetie. Do you trust me?”

I try to open my mouth to respond, but it’s swollen shut, dried blood locking the corners. I nod instead, and my saviour places one hand under my legs and the other behind my back, gently, like I’m made of the finest China and might break at any moment. He’s not wrong there.

I feel myself being lifted and I grit my teeth together, holding in the groan. Everything he touches burns to the point where I think I might pass out. I try to stay awake, but blackness edges in on the corners of my mind like a velvet blanket, pulling me under.

Alaric's voice wakes me. “Stay with me, Kayla.”

His strong masculine tone keeps me awake … for just a second. My ears start pounding and everything around me fades away. His voice is blocked out—the one thing that’s been keeping me together. I try to hold on but the darkness takes me once again.

Fresh air hits my face, bringing me back. Bright, white light invades my vision, but my body is numb. I can no longer feel the pain. Everything has vanished, and I feel like I’m floating above my body.

I am free.

Am I dead?

I sure hope so.

Then his voice booms above me.

“Kayla? Kayla? Please, come …”

It fades away and I give in, releasing myself into the light.

Alaric

“No! Come back to me, Kayla!” I scream. “Please.”

I don't care if James and the slayers hear me; I just want her to be okay. We’re in the forest, lucky to have even gotten out alive. She can't give up on me now—not when we’re so close to safety.

I snuck us out easily through the secret passage; James was too preoccupied with the news of Dara getting the topaz stone to notice I’d disappeared with Kayla. I couldn't afford to stay there any longer, especially with the state Kayla was in. She’s been completely broken.

Honestly, I’m shocked she held on for so long. I just hope I’m not too late, that she’ll be okay once we reach the guys’ house.

I shift Kayla in my arms easily and look up to the dark sky. There’s a loud bang, and lightning arcs behind the clouds. I shiver; something isn’t right. I need to take cover.

A loud, piercing crack sounds right behind us, followed by the resounding boom of thunder. It gets me moving, amps my urgency up.

Think, Alaric. Think.

I run with Kayla in my arms. Visibility is low in the darkness. I dodge trees and shrubs, only stopping to look around for something that will provide us with enough coverage.

I move towards a large oak and place Kayla on the ground in front of it. There has to be one around here, I think, pacing around the tree. Kneeling down, I move my hands over the forest floor, trying to find an animal burrow. I make it halfway around the tree, finding nothing but solid ground.

“Fuck,” I curse out loud.

I make my way back to Kayla, then lean down to pick her up again. That’s when I notice the uneven ground. After taking a few steps backwards, I put her back down.

I get to work, feeling around the edge and discovering the burrow is large enough for us both to fit. A drop of water runs down my face followed by a few more. I’m running out of time, but I want to test out the hole before bringing Kayla down with me.

Holding onto the edge, I place my legs into the hole. I don't feel the bottom, which is a good sign. The rain picks up and I carefully lower my body down into the hole.

With my arms stretched out, I still don't reach the bottom. I grip the edge moving a bit further and I feel the earth beneath my feet. That's all I need to know. After lifting myself back up and out, I step over to Kayla. She is still in the same spot, laid out on the forest floor. I reach over her body and take her hand in mine. Placing two fingers on her wrist, I try to find a pulse.

My heart rate picks up when I don't feel anything. I move my fingers down a touch and feel a beating against them. I relax slightly, knowing that she is still with me, just not responding physically. I have to hold onto that one positive thought, and not the negative. I have to be strong for both of us. Otherwise, I don't see us getting back alive.

The rain is hammering down, the wind picking up. This storm is getting crazier by the second. Lifting Kayla up, I cradle her to my chest like a baby. I trip on something. Stumbling, I feel myself start to fall towards the ground, but at the last second, I pull us both up.

Phew. Thank Silvia for that. I didn't like the idea of face-planting in the dark while carrying Kayla. I would break her already broken body, which wouldn't be the best.

Reaching the hole, I pull Kayla's limp body flush against me, wrapping her hands around my neck. Even though she can't hold on, it’ll help keep her against me. I have her head in one hand. My other hand is placed on her lower back. I sit on the edge with my legs dangling over. Lightning flashes, followed by a loud crack right near us.

I don't think. I just lift my arse off the edge, throwing us both down the rabbit hole. We fall for all of two seconds before I feel the earth beneath my feet. I try to brace myself, but the impact still jars my knees. I shield Kayla's body the best I can although I know she’ll have some extra bruises on top of those she already has. I shudder at the thought of causing her more pain.

Stretching out my hand, I try to find the walls. I work out the space is wide enough to fit us both comfortably. Kneeling down, I place Kayla against one of the walls.

Getting back up, I lift my arms, stretching out. Rain hits my face, dripping down from above. Shit, I didn't think about a cover to block out the elements. I turn around and lean down, checking on Kayla. She is still in the same condition. Lifting myself, I stretch up, trying to grab hold of the edge of the burrow without any luck. I crouch then spring up, jumping, my arms up and trying to reach. I feel the edge but don't get a good grip, and I fall back down. Pain slams into my arse and fuck that hurt. Shaking myself off, I try again.

I feel the edge and grab on with all the strength I have left. Once I know I have a good grip, I hold tight. I pull myself up with half my body out of the hole and my legs still dangling down. The rain belts down on my face. Running my hands around in front of me, I try to find something that will help provide cover. My hand goes over something that feels like a strong tree root. That will have to do. I pull it back towards me and lower myself down.

I place the root over the gap. I still feel some water dripping down the side of the burrow, but it still does a pretty good job of keeping us protected.

I sit next to Kayla, supporting her with my shoulder. The storm continues on outside, loud bangs and cracks filling the night.

Taking in a calming breath, I try to get in contact with Declan. I hear nothing but static and bang my fist to the forest floor in frustration. Our connection is still blocked. Kayla and I have nothing else to do but wait it out.

I’m grateful that we got out when we did. I replay what happened when James found out Dara had gained the topaz stone.

I had just finished my shift watching Kayla when I’d walked past James’s office. The door was wide open, and I found him pacing back and forth as if he were deep in thought.

James cursed suddenly. “Something’s happening. I can feel it,” he grumbled under his breath.

I knocked on the door. “What's going on, sir?” I asked, stopping just inside the room, keeping my exit in sight.

He stopped to face me, his face full of rage. “Dara is up to something. We need to stop her before it’s too late.”

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, but I tried to keep myself calm and not show James any of my concern. Dara and her warriors must have found the topaz stone and been close to claiming it.

“I’ll gather everyone up, sir. I’ll meet you in the war room in twenty minutes?”

His dark, twisted eyes met mine from across the room. “No! You and I need to pay that girl a visit first.”

I gulped, knowing exactly which girl he was referring to—the one who’d taken a tiny part of my heart. James would make her pay for what Dara was doing. My chest ached at the thought, but I couldn't let my guard down.

I followed James out, my heart hammering against my ribs as we walked down the stairs to the entrance to the chambers. The slayer on duty stood up straight at the sight of James. He hurried to unlock the door, hands shaking violently in the process.

The door creaked open and we stepped inside. We stopped in front of her cell, and no matter how many times I came to visit, I never got used to it. My heart broke into even tinier pieces. I didn't look at her. I couldn't bear to see her in pain. Instead, I looked ahead at the blank wall.

James didn't say a word—he just unleashed his magic on her. Her devastating screams filled the space, piercing my ears. I blocked out the noise like I did every time. When the muffled sounds stopped, James retreated. I followed him, but took a gamble and glanced back at her.

My heart stopped.

Her broken, bloodied body was limp against the back wall. Her eyes were swollen shut. Purple and blue bruises covered her, from her face all the way down to her feet.

I forced my eyes away and wiped my face of any mercy. As I walked past the slayer, he locked the chamber back up. I followed James up the stairs, then he stopped.

With a blank face, James said, “Gather everyone as planned.”

He looked smug about what he’d just done, which made my blood boil. How could someone be capable of such evil? Shaking myself off, I watched James stride down the corridor, waiting until he was out of sight before putting my plan into action. I had exactly ten minutes to get both Kayla and myself the hell out of there—it was then or never. Once James found out I’d betrayed him, all hell would break loose.

Turning, I hurried back down to the chambers. The slayer on guard looked at me, a question in his eyes.

“Gather the other slayers and meet James in the war room. You have ten minutes,” I told him. He nodded then ran off, knowing better than to question me.

I opened up the chamber door then shut it behind me and looked for something that would keep the door blocked from the outside. I cursed when I couldn’t find anything. I looked down at the keys in my hand. Yes, perfect.

Taking off the keys, I put them into my pockets then placed the large metal ring around the lock, squeezing it until it was firm. It wouldn't take much to break, but at least it would buy us some time—if we needed it.

After turning back around, I ran over to Kayla's cell and quickly unlocked her door. It groaned in protest.

I walked over to the back wall, searching for the hidden entrance. It was just lucky Kayla was put into this cell.

I heard movement, boots pounding down the stairs.

“Fuck,” I cursed. Time was running out. With everything I had in me, I pushed open the concealed door. Leaning down, I picked up Kayla’s limp body as she groaned.

“Hang in there, sweetie. I need you to trust me.”

I started carrying her towards the door. Once we were both through, I placed Kayla onto the dirt ground.

Behind me, someone started banging on the entry to the chamber. I quietly shut the secret passage just as I heard yelling. Spinning around, I got to work on getting through the second door. Once it was open, I picked up Kayla and ran.

Sweat runs down my back as I replay what happened and where we are now. We aren't safe yet. We still have to get through this storm and make our way back to the others. The moment the weather settles, I want to get moving; I can't afford to let James catch up to us.

I hope Dara did get topaz—if she did, then she’ll be one step closer to bringing James down for good. Wrapping my arm around Kayla's shoulders, I bring her closer against my body.

“Everything is going to be okay, sweetie. Trust me,” I whisper before sleep catches up with me.

We stay hunkered down in the hole for the next few days. I’ve been sleeping on and off the whole time. Kayla is still unconscious, but her pulse is strong. She’s holding on.

Suddenly, light filters through the hole above our heads as if the sun has just poked its head out from behind a cloud. I blink a few times, trying to adjust to the brightness. After lifting my arm off Kayla, I lean her against the wall and stand, stretching out my stiff body.

I pull myself up to the top of the hole, moving the shrubs away that are near the entrance. I listen for any sounds but only hear the wind whistling through the trees and the birds chirping.

I lift myself out completely then take cover behind the nearby tree. I scan the area, looking for any movement. Once I’m satisfied nobody is watching, I jump back down into the hole and bundle Kayla up in my arms.

Grabbing onto the ledge, I pull myself and Kayla up. My muscles ache in protest, but I push past the pain. I won't let Kayla down. When the cool air hits my face, I wrap my hand around Kayla's belly and hoist her up, placing her limp body over the edge. Once I’ve pulled myself clear of the hole, I gather up Kayla and gently throw her over my shoulder.

After looking left to right, I run, following the sun towards home—my real home, the one I haven't been back to in a long time.

I keep running until my legs start to burn and I’m forced to stop by a large oak tree.

Dropping down to my hands and knees, I try not to squish Kayla with my body but I fail. I land on her. I curse myself and my stupid legs for failing me. Leaning back on my heels, I look down, scanning Kayla's body, every inch. Her cheeks have some colour to them—it’s just showing beneath the heavy bruising. Checking her pulse for the third time, I puff out a breath of relief.

We must keep going. We are nearly there.

After placing my hands under her head and back, I shift to lift her up. The ground starts to shake, gently at first before becoming more violent. Branches snap off the trees above us, falling on our heads.

What the hell is going on?

Gone are the singing birds. In their place are loud cracks and bangs. It feels like an earthquake, but it’s been so long since we’ve experienced one here in Silvia. Pulling Kayla with me, I lean against the safety of the tree. The shaking lasts for minutes, the ground breaking up all around me.

I hold Kayla's body tightly, closing my eyes and bracing myself for what’s to come. The ground stops shaking as suddenly as it started.

Peeling open my eyes, I push off the tree with Kayla still in my arms, but I’m forcefully knocked back. My spine hits the trunk. My breathing stops from the impact, my body feels numb. A flash of colour invades my vision, flying past us.

I open my eyes, blinking at the sight in front of me.

With a strangled moan, I look around to see that Silvia is in ruin. The once luscious greens have been replaced with black ash as far as my eye can see.

I don't think. I throw Kayla over my back and run.